Working (Extremely) Remotely in Indonesia

Thermal: Clearly these last couple years were a different vibe than the previous ones. Talk to me about the ups, downs, or even any unexpected benefits that came from what I’d assume was pretty uncrowded season…

Earl: Asu Camp was poised for an amazing season in 2020. Honestly, our camp had never looked so good and ready as it was in 2020, nothing was broken, nothing needed replacing, the landscaping was filling in, we were primed to have the best season ever… But I guess the sole benefit might have been the bond that was seared between our family and our local partner Folo’s family. We got tighter than ever spending six months together without guests, our kids played every day, and shared unforgettable times. We took the kids to the beach break on Nias to learn to bodyboard, we took them snorkeling at Asu and taught them about the coral reefs and reef life, we celebrated birthdays as one big family; so I guess the unexpected benefit that I can sift out of 2020 would be the everlasting bond that was created between Folo’s family and our family.

Guy: Yeah, you know there really haven’t been to many ups nor downs—just perfect, empty barrels with a handful of humans! Obviously, our charter boat not operating was a downer as there was no income and all the charter boats, resorts, staff, and families have suffered during this time.

Most definitely. I imagine some of those few brave souls that made it out must’ve been a little lonely…were any in total disbelief?

Guy: To be honest most guests that had made the mission knew what they were in for. That’s why they pulled the plug and paid the price of quarantine and have scored, due to taking the risks and sacrificed time and money for another fairly empty season due to COVID. But, it’s certainly been an amazing run of swell lately. Big, small, and everything in between, which is basically what the Mentawai Islands is all about.

Earl: Yeah, we had only five guests last year; a group of four Aussies in March and a single straggler that came up from Lagundri Bay for five days in September. The Aussies were Asu Camp regulars and as usual in March, there was no one around, so we had it all to ourselves anyway. But they got lucky and got out right before things went haywire. In 2021, we had only one group of seven in early July. That was special, we had the Hinakos all to ourselves, and we scored at four different waves in 11 days, and never saw another surfer.

Geez, yeah, this season in particular seemed like there were some massive swells…Was it both uncrowded and particularly big…or does it just seem that way on Instagram?

Earl: In my opinion, 2021 has been pretty average. We didn’t get an 8’ swell until July 14 and it’s very rare to go that long without getting a solid 8’+ swell. From mid-July it pumped for two weeks, another 8’ swell at the end of July, then another two weeks with some nice waves and another 8’ swell Aug 12-13… So, just three 8’ swells over two and a half months of peak season is pretty average for us down here. But I imagine that everyone around the world with eyes on empty Indo are just out of their heads over it.

Stupid question…do perfect waves ever get old?

Earl: No, never. I grew up surfing in the cold and fickle waters north of the Golden Gate Bridge and I will never take these waves, or water, for granted. You may find me waiting, saving my energy for what I expect will be the best part of the day, and that may come together, and sometimes it may not, but it never gets old surfing out here.

Guy: Ask a stupid question; get a stupid answer: Perfect waves suck. [laughs]

Yeah, I figured as much. Guy, you’re close with Earl and other guides in the “neighborhood;” do you folks share a lot of info or surf together much? What’s that relationship like?

Guy: Yeah, I live next door to Teiki from Hollow Tree’s Resort and we surf together all the time. Earl is a longtime friend from Asu Camp and we’re always chatting with the banter online, so yes, we’re great friends and have shared some epic moments together, for sure.

Earl: Guy and I met in 2013, and we shared a special session at a secret left hander in our neighborhood. He was shooting pics on a surf charter boat and I was out with a group from Asu Camp. We met later at Asu and swapped photos of each other. Guy loves to surf, is always super positive, and just full of stoke, so we have a lot in common, but he’s been spending most of his time down in the Ments, while I’m up north of Nias, so we don’t share too much info, as our locations are pretty far apart [laughs].

Guys like you are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to your breaks….what’s one piece of helpful info you’d give potential visitors coming to surf that might be overlooked?

Earl: My one piece of advice that I always give my clients is this: You’ve waited so long, you’ve paid so much, and you’ve traveled so far…Get in a new mind-space, leave your local break mindset behind, forget about catching any wave that you can. Be picky, wait for that wave that has your name on it, the one that you will remember when you go home, the one that I call a “life-changer.” That’s why you came out here. Don’t throw yourself over the ledge on something that doesn’t feel right; give it up to someone down the line in a better position.

Guy: I’d say just have your wits about you, respect the local culture, and try to understand local weather patterns and swells. Doing all of those things will cut out a lot of the same questions some people ask all the time.

Earl: Yeah, if I could add, that I like to say the more waves I give away, the more waves I get. I would rather paddle over a wave counting on the next one out the back being a bomb—and find nothing—than take a mediocre wave, kick out down the line and see the next one behind it, bigger and better, reeling at me in absolute perfection, knowing that I should have paddled over the one I took…That’s why I’m here.

Lastly, what’s one or two things visiting surfers tend to forget to pack that they really should?

Guy: Fin keys, sunblock, and general knowledge.

Earl: Right. Patience and common sense. [laughs] Seriously, I would agree with Guy and say quality sunscreen, the kind of zinc that goes on and stays on, for hours. We sell a brand at the camp called Surf Yogis and it is worth its weight in gold, goes on and stays on: noses, foreheads, lips, bald heads. If you put it on you almost have to scrub it or rub it off, and it’s the only stuff that protects me through the mid-day lunch session or a 4-hour power session. The second thing would be health supplements: Vitamin C, electrolytes, and ibuprofen. Stuff that is going to help keep you healthy and strong for 10 days of marathon surfing and tropical heat.